Crawford retains board seat

Posted: Wednesday, October 03, 2007

By WILL MORROWPeninsula Clarion

In the only race for the only school board seat being contested in Tuesday's election, incumbent Sammy Crawford defeated challenger Gene Dyson for Seat 1 representing Kalifornsky in Tuesday's municipal election.

Crawford, who has served on the school board since 1998, received 518 votes, or 63 percent, according to unofficial results posted by the borough on its Web site. Dyson, who has run for school board several times, received 299 votes, or 36 percent. Four votes for write-in candidates were cast.

Crawford was visiting family and could not be reached for comment Tuesday night. Prior to the election, she said the top issue facing the district was class size.

"Any time we can keep class sizes down, we do a service to our kids," Crawford said.

She also said she would continue to lobby the Legislature for forward funding of education, eliminating the need to pink slip staff every year while the district waits for lawmakers to settle on a budget. She also would like to enhance career and technical education in the district, noting that 75 percent of the district's high school graduates do not obtain a four-year degree.

Election results also indicate voters approved of Proposition 3, a measure to impose term limits on school board members. The ordinance, as written, would prevent Crawford from being seated on the board.

Crawford has spoken out against the measure and has said her acquired body of knowledge is a valuable tool for the district.

"I believe experience is the most important thing a person can bring to elected office," Crawford said.

Crawford called it an honor to serve on the board and said the district has a great deal of which to be proud.

Two other seats on the board were up for grabs in Tuesday's election. In Seward, Lynn Hohl ran unopposed to retain Seat 6, and Sunni Hilts ran unopposed to retain Seat 9, representing the southern peninsula. Hohl received 96 percent of the vote, while Hilts, who also will be affected by the term limits ballot proposition, received 95 percent of the vote.